Autism is a complex pervasive developmental disorder with a neurological-biological basis that ussualy occurs in childhood. It manifests itself primarily as altered behavior in the areas of social interaction, verbal, and nonverbal communication. It covers a wide range of disorders from mild to severe forms. “Autistic” means “withdrawing from relationships”. It is present in people all over the world, regardless of race, culture or economic background. According to the European Center for Disease Control and Prevention (ECDC), autism is more common in boys than in girls with a male-to-female ratio of 4 to 1. It is estimated that one in sixty children is affected in a mild or severe form.

There are five subtypes of autism:
- with or without concomitant intellectual disability,
- with or without concomitant language impairment,
- associated with a known medical or genetic condition or environmental factor,
- associated with other neurodevelopmental, mental or behavioral disorder,
- with catatonia.

The causes of autism were first sought in inadequate developmental and family conditions (Bruno Bettelheim - cold mothers). In 1964, however, Bernard Rimland described autism as a biological disorder in his book Infantile Autism: The Syndrome and Its Implications for a Neural Theory of Behavior. An important guide to the book was the preface written by Leo Kanner. The next turning point was the research of twins from the late 1970s, which otherwise proved in very small samples that autism is genetically determined. Recent research, however, suggests that the development of autism is influenced by a combination of genetic, immune, metabolic, and environmental factors. This is also confirmed by the largest study of twins with autism to date, published in 2011 Genetic Heritability and Shared Environmental Factors Among Twin Pairs With Autism, in which the authors place the influence of environmental factors even before the influences of genetics.

The symptoms of autism usually become clearly visible in early childhood, between 12 and 24 months of age. However, symptoms can also appear sooner or later. Early symptoms may include marked delay in language or social development. The exact cause of autism is not yet known, nor is there a cure for autism. There are other types of therapies and alternative therapies that people can use to help themselves feel better and relieve their symptoms.

Many approaches to alternative treatment include therapies such as:
- behavioral therapy,
- play therapy,
- occupational therapy,
- physiotherapy,
- speech therapy.

Massage, weighted blankets and clothing, and mediation techniques can have a positive effect and have relaxing effects. However, treatment outcomes vary from person to person. Some methods also include excessive vitamin intake, hyperbaric chamber therapy, and melatonin intake. Children with autism are more likely not to reach the same developmental milestones as their peers or to show a loss of previously developed social or language skills. For example, a 2-year-old without autism may show interest in simple makeover games. A 4-year-old without autism can enjoy activities with other children. A child with autism may have difficulty interacting with others, or other children may not like him or her at all or may exclude him or her from society.

At Hempethica, we are monitoring this area, as we want to develop products in the future that would be especially helpful for children in the early period, in order to help them develop social skills and thus integrate into society.